Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List

Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «Q»:

q arm of a chromosomeq arm of a chromosome: The long arm of a
chromosome.
All human chromosomes have 2 arms -- a short arm and
a long arm -- that are separated from each other only by the centromere, the point at which the
chromosome is attached to the spindle during cell division.
By international convention, the s...

Q bandsQ band: A form of chromosome band, one of the bright and dull fluorescent bands seen alternating along the length of chromosomes under ultraviolet light after the chromosomes are stained with quinacrine.
The Q in Q band stands for Quinacrine, an agent used as an antimalarial agent and, in the labo...

Q feverQ fever: An acute febrile illness due to Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii), a species of bacteria. Q fever is a zoonotic disease (contracted from animals). Aside from sudden onset of fever, there is headache, malaise, and pneumonia but no rash.
The disease was first reported in 1935 in Queensland, Aus...

Q fever vaccineQ fever vaccine: A vaccine against Q fever, an illness first recognized in Australia in the 1930's that affects people dealing with infected sheep and cattle and their hides and carcasses.
The microscopic bacterial agent of Q fever, Coxiella
burnetii, is spread with airborne dust and contaminated...

q in population geneticsq in population genetics: The frequency of the less common of two
different alternative (allelic) versions of a gene. (The frequency of the more common
allele is p). ...

q.d. (on prescription)q.d. (on prescription): Seen on a prescription, q.d. (or qd)
means one a day (from the Latin quaque die). The abbreviation is
sometimes written without a period in capital letters as "QD".
However it is written, it is one of a number of hallowed
abbreviations of Latin terms that have been tradit...

q.h. (on prescription)q.h. (on prescription): Abbreviation for "every
hour." On a prescription
or doctor's hospital orders, q.h. means every hour. Also written qh
(without the periods).
From the Latin quaque meaning once + h for hour. However it
is written, it is one of a number of hallowed abbreviations of Latin
ter...

q.i.d. (on prescription)q.i.d. (on prescription): Seen on a prescription, q.i.d. (or qid) means 4 times a day (from the Latin quater in die). The abbreviation q.i.d. is also
sometimes written without a period in capital letters as "QID".
However it is written, it is one of a number of hallowed
abbreviations of Latin ter...

q.n.s.q.n.s.: On a lab report, q.n.s. (or qns or QNS) means Quantity Not Sufficient. Not enough blood, urine or whatever to do the test....

QALYQALY: Quality adjusted life year, a year of life
adjusted for its quality or its value. A year in perfect
health is considered equal to 1.0 QALY. The value of a year
in ill health would be discounted. For example, a year
bedridden might have a value equal to 0.5 QALY....

Qi gongQi gong: ("chee-GUNG") A component of traditional Chinese medicine that combines movement, meditation, and regulation of breathing to enhance the flow of qi (an ancient term given to what is believed to be vital energy) in the body, improve blood circulation, and enhance immune function....